Nasrin Sotoudeh, a prominent defender of human rights, has been sentenced to seven years in prison by the Iranian justice system. Help marie claire fight for her freedom by signing our global petition.
The global campaign is pushing for the release of Sotoudeh, who is currently being punished by the Iranian legal system for defending women’s rights.
Sotoudeh was arrested in June 2018, and has consequently been sentenced to seven years in jail by an Iranian court, having already spent three years behind bars.
In a letter penned to the public on Saturday, Sotoudeh’s husband, Reza Khandan, disclosed more information about her incarceration. Khandan revealed that seven indictments in total have been pronounced against his wife, which have totalled up to 38 years in prison and 148 lashes.
The 55-year-old lawyer has been a prominent human rights activist in Iran for years, after tirelessly defending several women who had protested against the mandatory wearing of the headscarf by appearing bareheaded in public.
Sotoudeh was previously incarcerated in Iran from 2010 to 2013 after defending protesters who had been arrested during the 2009 demonstrations against the reelection of ex-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The reason given behind her imprisonment was for allegedly “acting against national security” and “propaganda against the regime”.
During these three years, Sotoudeh carried out three hunger strikes to protest against the conditions of her detention. With the support of the International community, she was pardoned and freed on 28th September 2013 and was even the last recipient of the International Human Rights Ludovic-Trarieux award in 2018.
Sotoudeh is now in need of the International community again, currently sitting in prison on charges of “conspiracy”, “incitement to corruption and prostitution” and “disruption of public order”.
The time has come for us to fight for Sotoudeh’s freedom, as she has done for countless Iranian women.
In the name of all the values Marie Claire have always upheld – gender equality, women’s rights and freedom of expression, Marie Claire Australia, as well as many of our International editions, demand Nasrin Sotoudeh’s unconditional release.
Sign the petition here.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
